The Stars That Gazed Back
by AshryverEyes
Summary: Dorian Havilliard and his brother, Roland, sneak aboard a ship bound for Wendlyn one autumn night. Mistward, a coffee shop established on the fringe of Wendlyn's shoreline, is host to Aelin Galathynius' favorite place to lie low (alongside her cousin and her best friend, of course). Two troubled souls running from sorrow cross paths. AU/ MODERN(ish? read disclaimer!)


_AN: I'm not entirely sure what this is or where it will go. Dorian x Aelin/ Rowan x Aelin._

 _This honestly just came to me one day when I was searching for new coffee shops to visit. The story is set in modern time, however there are aspects to it that seem outdated (ie. kingdoms and courts etc) but that's just one of my little quirky twists to keep you on edge. If any of you have read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (which I highly recommend), think of the 'strangeness' regarding the setting from that book. That's what I was going for. Hope you enjoy! Possibly more to come…?_

 _Disclaimer: Sarah J Maas owns the characters._

 _Song 1: I Know Places by Lykke Li_

Chapter 1

She licked her lips, dragging her pink tongue across the contours of her tea stained teeth. Her long legs were crossed dangerously beneath the oaken table, revealing scuffed boots and scars that stitched north of her knees. Dorian swept his eyes upward. Such a fragile face to be hosting such stormy azure eyes; like that of a siren or perhaps a Norse goddess on the war path. He swallowed.

Mistward was aptly named after the previous owner built the coffee shop on the fringe of Wendlyn's shoreline, a city notorious for its bad weather. Everything smelt of brine and mildew. Although, he supposed that was a slight repercussion from living so close to an ocean. A network of vessels sailed in everyday from different parts of Erilea, some docking at the coastal city of Doranelle, others departing to venture north towards Terrasen or west near Adarlan.

The Havilliard brothers had just recently arrived from Rifthold, looking to take a futile yet very much needed break from their home lives. Both brothers reasoned they'd be back in two days' time, so there would be no need to bare their father's wrath.

Rolland slumped back down into the seat adjacent to Dorian, curling his pale fingers around the cold-brew coffee as if the mug were steaming warmth instead of floating ice-cubes. "Well don't you look positively bewildered."

The younger Havilliard didn't pay any mind to his brother, instead staring out the bay window which breached through the heavy afternoon downpour. "You know," Rolland continued, "I didn't risk my ass coming here just to sit in this shanty and watch you brood even more than you usually do while in Adarlan. Did you forget to put sugar in your drink?"

Dorian turned a glare towards him. Rolland blinked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Yes. Now please cease badgering me and drink your shitty coffee."

"Gods above," Rolland bemoaned, eyes alight with mirth, "he's finally starting to act like a normal adolescent." Dorian made a hand gesture as if to justify how right that statement truly was. Someone behind them, a mother by the embarrassed look that suddenly crossed Rolland's face, cleared their throat. Dorian immediately dropped his hand, cheeks warming sheepishly. Both of them muttered apologies.

Glancing sideways, Dorian looked to see if the girl was still there. She was. And this time, she had company. She must've been waiting for him this whole time. Trying to hide his shock, Dorian twisted himself subtly to gain a better view without being too obvious that he was observing the pair. At the sight of the other man, his eyes widen slightly.

 _God's above._ He was huge, with muscles cording beneath his loose grey shirt and a towering frame that suggested he ranged near six feet in height. Like the girl, he too wore a patchwork of bruises and scars, all lacing beneath his clothes, although his wounds somehow looked marginally more harrowing. The man's hair was a shade brighter than the girl's, making it appear nearly white as it fell against his shoulders. A tattoo peeked out from the collar of his shirt and twinned up his next, behind his right ear. Upon further notice, Dorian saw the girl had a similar marking running against her shoulders. Matching marks.

Dorian would've thought the man to be terrifying, if it weren't for the soft expression he wore while looking at the girl, who smiled back at him with those damning eyes.

Rolland, who'd been quiet up until five minutes ago, followed his brother's gaze to the couple near the hearth, a knowing grin on his lips. "Oh, so _that's_ what this is about."

Dorian felt mortified and angered all at once. "Stop trying to make things more than they are." He thought his words over and then added dumbly, "I was just looking at their tattoos."

The tea he'd bought a half hour ago was still untouched. Rolland was now on his second coffee.

It wasn't until thunder whipped the ground once more, causing the lights to topple out, that Dorian realized how awful this small vacation was. What the hell were they even thinking? Once word got out that the brothers had ran from home, their father would send out every contact in search for his missing sons while plotting their murder on the side. Not to mention their youngest brother, Hollin, was probably a sweating wreck around their distressed mother. He saw them depart at an ungodly hour and they made him swear to not speak a word. Dorian wondered how long he'd hold out.

Lights kindled as Emrys and his son, Luca, went around brandishing candles. While Rolland mentioned something about his crazed girlfriend Kaltain and blackouts, Dorian peered out of the corner of his eye.

He wanted to growl in frustration.

Another male, this one appearing as though he could be the girl's twin, had settled himself between the two. Honey blonde hair curled into his cerulean eyes as he snagged a half-empty drink off the table and took a swig. Someone snarled. His feline lips curled upward. Then he sprawled into his seat and the trio bent forward to enclose their conversation.

Suddenly, there was a clang. Emrys cleared his throat as the remaining patrons twisted to face him. Luca stood off to the side, grimacing out the window. "Bad news, I'm afraid," the old man called out. "Rain won't stop 'till midnight. The roads are flooded and an advisory has been posted." Groans and cries of protest rebounded, but Rolland's shoulders shook as he tried poorly to conceal his laughter.

Dorian raised a brow, "How is this funny, pray tell?"

Rolland said, "Because now you might get the chance to talk to that girl."

Despite plenty, Dorian knew that Rollan wasn't an idiot. His brother was bound to notice at some point the excessive amount of attention he'd been disturbing. However, watching as the two men pressed even closer to the girl, he knew his chances were slim to none.

At least, they were…until she stood up and began walking towards him.

When their eyes met, Dorian knew he was far from Adarlan.


End file.
